Never Fades
by winteraction
Summary: Set during the end of New Moon- After Alice, Bella, and Edward return from Volterra, Esme goes to talk to Carlisle...but is surprised by him instead. Esme X Carlisle one-shot.


Esme opened the door to her bedroom and slipped in silently. She stood immobile for a moment before her topaz eyes scanned the room and landed on Carlisle, who was lounging on the cream couch in front of the television. She took a moment to admire him: he wore a simple white t-shirt and dark blue jeans that were partially frayed at the ends, his blonde hair slightly tousled. He was barefoot, one arm hanging lazily over the back of the couch, and he sat unmoving, staring through the television.

"Carlisle…" she said, seating herself gracefully next to him.

"Esme…" he breathed, flicking off the television and turning his golden eyes on her.

His sort-of silence confused her. She paused. "All three of them are fine, Carlisle. Edward's alive," she said cautiously.

"…I know," he answered slowly, absentmindedly twirling a lock of her silky hair around his finger. There was a spark of…. _something_ behind his eyes, something she'd seen before but couldn't quite place right then.

"Jasper was so relieved to have Alice back…I still don't think he's let go of her, and they got back hours ago. And Bella…I'm so happy for him- so happy for _them_. Edward has what he wants now," Esme continued, smiling slightly at her husband.

"What he wants…" Carlisle echoed, nodding slowly in agreement, dropping his arm from the back of the couch to around her delicate shoulders, staring at her intently.

Esme wasn't exactly certain what kind of mood Carlisle was in, but she decided to tease him a little. "What do _you_ want, Carlisle?" she asked, looking into his eyes and moving onto his lap. Drawing closer, she noticed him unconsciously lick his lips. A centimeter away, she paused, breathing a few deliberate breaths onto his lips. Then she grinned. "Just kidding," she whispered. She got up and moved in the direction of the door.

She'd only taken three steps before he lost it.

Almost faster than she could comprehend, Carlisle had her shoved against the wall and was kissing her fiercely- it was a primal kiss, raw, one that seemed to almost _demand_ that she kiss him back. Her hands rested weakly on his strong shoulders as she reciprocated only softly, still slowed by shock.

Carlisle growled loudly in frustration and grabbed her slender wrists, pulling them off his shoulders and roughly shoving her hands under his shirt so her ice-cold fingertips rested on his marble abs. Her surprise wearing off, Esme got the hint quickly, and slowly began drawing her forever-perfect fingernails up his chest. He let out a low groan and pulled her even closer.

It wasn't like she'd never touched Carlisle before- far from it, she'd been holding him for over a century- but right now it was almost as though she'd forgotten what a _god_ he was. Her fingertips dipped in and out of the outlines of his muscles as she ran her hands up his smooth chest. Her eyelids flickered; she saw his perfect, slightly furrowed eyebrows, the golden fringe of his eyelashes resting on his cheekbone, the slight diamond sheen of his skin from the fading sunlight that filtered through their bedroom windows- and she sighed, almost overwhelmed. He hadn't- they hadn't- _touched_ like this in so long. Ages, it seemed to her, though it couldn't have been.

Carlisle half-whimpered, half-moaned as she slipped her hands out of his shirt and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, idly toying with the hair at the base of his neck. She gasped as he trailed a hand down from her waist to rest lightly on her thigh, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

He was irresistible. And she was so, so weak when it came to him, so impossibly in love with him. Yes, Carlisle was serious, a father- very mature, fantastically wise- but it did nothing to distract from how incredibly _attractive_ he was. She was always in awe of him, always allured by him; he was everything she wanted. She thought, in passing, how unfortunate it was for humans that they needed to break apart for air…

Carlisle straightened up without breaking the kiss, so Esme was pulled off the ground. She loosely wrapped her legs around his waist for support as his tongue fought with hers, and he let out a soft, animalistic growl as she once again trailed her hand down his torso.

A phone rang. They froze.

Carlisle smoothly let Esme to the floor without relinquishing his tight hold on her waist. He rested her forehead on her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around him. It was quiet for a second.

"Whoa," she whispered with a slight laugh.

Carlisle smirked against her collarbone, resting his arm on the wall. "Sorry. I lost control."

"You're the most controlled person I know, Carlisle. What do you need to stop yourself for?" Esme asked quietly. "I can't remember the last time you kissed me like that."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just…with Bella, Edward, Jasper's thirst, the werewolves. The Volturi made me think about what I'd do if I lost _you_...there are so many things I'm worried about right now—"

"Do you think _I'm _not worried?" she interrupted. He said nothing. "10 hours ago, I thought I'd lost three of my children. You're never going to lose me. Worry doesn't have to consume you, Carlisle. I thought…I thought you…" she trailed off, unsure of how to say what she was thinking.

Carlisle understood anyway. "Look. If you never get older, your passion never fades. I'll be forever 23, Esme, and you'll be stuck with me for eternity."

He stood quietly for a moment, just breathing in her scent. He straightened up, looked her in the eye, and whispered, "And I am so, so, so in love with you, my dear."

"I know," Esme whispered, smiling softly before knotting her fingers in his hair again, standing on her tiptoes, and pulling him down sharply into another kiss.

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Okay. Wayyy different from what I normally write, but I still kind of like it. There are nowhere near enough Carlisle/Esme fics out there, first of all. And you always read these passion-y, romance-y scenes about Bella and Edward, or Emmett and Rosalie-- but what about Carlisle and Esme? Sure, they're the "parents", but it doesn't mean they don't have the same relationship as the other vampires (or vamp and a human) do. This is a little...hotter than what I normally write, but it is what it is. Enjoy.

-vio

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